Letters to the Editor (May 1)

Back amendment

The Kansas Supreme Court must ultimately approve the amount that is spent on public education, so why does the Legislature need to debate the issue? Just let the Supreme Court tell the amount the Legislature needs to spend and all the Legislature needs to do is rubber-stamp the requirement.

Unless our Legislature supports a constitutional amendment to allow only our elected Legislature to decide school finance, then our representatives are irrelevant in any decision-making regarding public education.

Why are we wasting taxpayer money debating an issue that the Legislature will ultimately not decide anyway? As voters, we need to take a stand and allow only our elected representatives decide funding.

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Decisions regarding public education should be made by “we the people” and not by judges who sit on a throne.

Edward Myers, Newton

Abortion politics

It’s about time to have “I am pro-life, I am against abortion” blasted over the airwaves again. But once those politicians are elected, they forget about those innocent, unborn babies. That is until the next election.

Religious institutions encourage their members to pray to end abortion, and that just delights the politicians. They are laughing all the way to the bank because they don’t have to spend much on advertising.

Politicians know that most of the electorate doesn’t keep up with state or national news. All they hear is the “pro-life” phrase. Politicians try to hide their hypocrisy, knowing they have ridden to another term on the backs of those precious children. They won’t step forth to adopt those children.

Voters, hold them to that stipulation. Whether it is state or national, insist the first order of legislation they introduce is a bill to outlaw abortion and follow through on that to completion. You will see how committed those politicians really are.

That may be a way to get rid of those who have ridden the gravy train for years. Perhaps some new politicians will not be afraid to follow through.

Roberta Lampe, Garden Plain

Debate important

Recently, Sinclair Broadcasting dictated that all their station anchors recite a line that “fake news is extremely dangerous to our democracy,” in reference to mainstream media’s reporting on the daily news coming from the Trump administration.

In “Joseph Anton,” the story of his 13 years in hiding from the Fatwa that was put on his head after the publication of “Satanic Verses,” Salman Rushdie describes the importance of the free flow of information.

Rushdie asserts that the heart of the dispute over “Satanic Verses” was who shall have control over the story,” whether that story be about the nation, family, or religion? That in an open society, we all have the right to debate the story. The argument itself is freedom.

Rushdie wrote that in a closed society, those who possess political power invariably try to shut down these debates — to tell the story, what it means, and forbid it be told in any other way, writing, “If you do not like the way we tell the story then you are an enemy of the state.”

The debate becomes a search for truth with an autocratically-leaning administration and lies and disinformation a sound bite, tweet or keystroke away.

William Skaer, Wichita

Leading to better nurse staffing

As an active registered nurse in the Wichita community, I am writing this letter to bring awareness and potentially support for a current bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill is known as the Safe Staffing for Nurse and Patient Safety Act of 2018 (HR 5052).

I am honored in my daily work position by being able to advocate for my patients. The health care environment may be intimidating and even foreign for many patients. From the nursing perspective, the Safe Staffing for Nurse and Patient Safety Act is a means for improving or developing staffing measures that place patient safety and advocacy at the forefront of priority. Enabling patients, educating patients, and truly caring for patients are goals shared by many nurses.

From the patient perspective, this bill would support a movement forward toward allowing staffing that supports higher quality and safer care. Patients’ goals focus around recovery, healing, and functioning at their best level. This bill supports nurses being able to stand beside patients and support them in meeting their goals.

Caleb Smith, Wichita

Letters to the Editor

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